


In the Light of the Full Moon

by nunyabizniz



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Nightmares, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, just two boys talking in the woods, not explicitely edling but if you ship them this still applies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23624860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nunyabizniz/pseuds/nunyabizniz
Summary: He worries for a minute that Ling is going to ask what the dream was about, it's already hazy in his mind and he doubts he could really describe it, but instead the prince simply points at the moon which he has a clear view of from where they’re sitting.“In Xing” he says, “the full moon signifies prosperity and family reunion. Every full moon for a year the emperor meets with a daughter from each clan to produce an heir, it takes five years to meet with every clan.”(Takes place during the camping trip era. Just a breif moment between Ed and Ling)
Relationships: Edward Elric & Ling Yao, Edward Elric/Ling Yao
Comments: 5
Kudos: 119





	In the Light of the Full Moon

He is in his old room in Resembool, only it doesn’t look like his room, the walls are stark white, through the window he sees only billowing black smoke. There are noises coming from behind the door, soft gurgling thumping noises and one soulless exhale. 

They’re getting louder.

And closer.

The door is growing taller and farther away. 

Across the room Al’s bed is empty.

Something cold and dense sinks into his stomach, he can feel it dragging him down. like a stone in water He remembers with a jolt that he desperately needs to open that door, regardless of what is on the other side. But no matter how fast he runs his limbs won't cooperate it feels like running through thick mud and he can’t get any closer. The massive stone door is only growing heavier and farther away.

“Wait!” he tries to yell at it, but all he can manage is a pathetic wheeze. He can’t speak, he can’t see, he’s running blind. “Wait!”

He flinches awake. Slowly reality returns to him, hard dirt beneath him, cool night air, grass itching against his arm, tentatively he opens his eyes. He is not in Resembool, he’s laying on the forest floor far from anywhere he’s familiar with. 

He’s not alone. Heinkel and Darius are slumped against each other and Ling, no Greed, is sitting cross legged against a tree staring intently at the canopy of trees. No Al.

His breathing is still irregular and he can feel the light film of sweat on his back and hand. He pushes himself up with his automail arm, no use trying to sleep now. 

The moon is high in the sky, almost directly overhead, their fire is only embers now. Greed casts him a sideways glance and smiles. No, his eyes are practically closed and the smile is softer less wolfish, must be Ling.

“Bad dream?” he asks without a hint of mockery or even really curiosity in his voice. Ed hates when Ling talks like he knows what's going on in his head but he’s too tired now to fight him on something he’s right about. Instead he nods and rubs the sleep from his eyes which are a little wet.

Ling nods his head in a way that says come here and Ed, tired and still in a bit of an emotional frenzy, simply scooches over til they’re sitting shoulder to shoulder. He worries for a minute that Ling is going to ask what the dream was about, it's already hazy in his mind and he doubts he could really describe it, but instead the prince simply points at the moon which he has a clear view of from where they’re sitting.

“In Xing” he says, “the full moon signifies prosperity and family reunion. Every full moon for a year the emperor meets with a daughter from each clan to produce an heir, it takes five years to meet with every clan.”

Ed nods his head hearing the words Ling says but hardly processing them. Ling looks at him expressionless yet somehow radiating concern.

“I hope this is a sign that we will see our friends again soon. Maybe even your brother.” Ling’s voice is soft and the only thing Ed wants to hear right now. He wants to ask him to keep talking, to drown out the erratic racing of his pulse.

Al. Thinking about Al is painful, he tries to avoid it when he can, which is never. He looks back up at the moon.

“When we were kids Al and I used to sneak out to Winry’s house during full moons when it was bright enough to cut through pastures without getting lost.” He takes a deep steadying breath. “We would walk to this little lake and eat honey cakes that my mom made. She always knew when we did it and left the door unlocked for when we came back, but back then we thought we were being so smooth.” 

He smiles to himself momentarily lost in the memory of skipping stones along the lake’s smooth surface and watching the moon's reflection scatter. Ling is watching him, face still unusually blank. He doesn’t continue the story, maybe there was nothing more to it. They sit in silence surrounded by the sounds of the forest at night and their chimera friends snoring like bullfrogs.

“How long have you been sitting like this?” He asks if only to keep himself from slipping into his own head.

“Since you guys started falling asleep I think, I'm not really sure.”

“Where’s Greed?” Ed feel stupid asking that but it's the first thing that came to mind and his brain to mouth filter is basically nonexistent right now.

Ling taps two fingers against the center of his forehead. “He’s sleeping for once, or I guess as close as a Homunculus can get to sleep.”

Ed nods pensively. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

Ling turns to fully meet his gaze, Ed always feels like he’s trying to read him when he does that. 

“Just needed some alone time I guess.” He shrugs.

“Are you tired at all?” They’re still maintaining steady eye contact but Ed feels less like he’s under a microscope and more like he’s looking at a passing ship through a telescope.

“I guess. I’m more hungry than anything else.” The corner of Ling’s mouth twitches and Ed breathes out a laugh.

“Of course you are. How are you not fat?”

Ling shrugs now smiling in earnest. “Just lucky I guess.”

Ed breaks eye contact first looking down at his lap. He hadn't even noticed that his heart rate had steadied. Before they can slip into silence again he feels compelled to ask, "How did you know it was a bad dream?"

Ling does not look away. "You started moving in your sleep like -" he mimics a twitching motion.

Briefly Ed feels embarrassment wash over him followed quickly by anger, because being embarrassed makes him vulnerable and being vulnerable when he didn't ask to be makes him angry. He almost says something cutting but Ling speaks first.

"It's unfair that even when we're asleep we can't escape fear." He says it like this is something he's thought many times before.

"Yeah," Ed says, "it's total bullshit."

Ling leans back propping himself up with his hands. "Bullshit." He repeats, testing the word out. "I'll have to tell Lan Fan that one."

Ed raises his eyebrows, Lan Fan never struck him as the swearing type. "Hey if she wants to learn Amesrtian curses tell her to ask Al."

Ling snorts. "Really? Al never seemed like the type to me."

Ed grins more to himself. "Oh yeah he's an angel around everyone else, but when it's just us he's all 'fuck this' and 'bitch that'. It's unbelievable, he's worse than a sailor."

Ling huffs out a little laugh imagining sweet gentle Al cursing up a storm. He is back to facing the moon, head swaying slightly and eyes closed. Casually he closes the space between them leaning against Ed’s shoulder. “Now that you’re awake I guess I can try to get a little sleep.” He readjusts himself so he's comfortable. "Wake me up if I start twitching." 

Ed elbows him slightly but makes no attempt to move, the night they’d spent in Gluttony’s stomach he and Ling had fallen asleep side by side and he’d awoken with Ling half draped over him. To be honest the weight of Ling’s head on his shoulder is nice, feeling the warmth of him and the steady rhythm of his breath helps keep Ed grounded in the here and now. Before he can make another comment he feels Ling’s body deflate against him already unconscious. 

The moon had passed behind them now and the sun would be rising within a few hours. Heinkel and Darius are still fast asleep, how they don’t wake each other up with their outrageous snoring is beyond Ed. Carefully he uncrosses his legs and extends them straight in front of him making sure not to jostle Ling too much.

He could take these spare hours to start planning out their next moves in meticulous detail, but somehow he can’t force his mind to focus on anything beyond the cool night air, and the shadows cast by the moon, and the breath wafting over his shoulder, and the crickets so similar to the ones he heard by the lake in Resembool. For once he allows himself to just be calm.


End file.
